The "final verdict" on the day's Twins baseball action.

Making ‘Em Sweat

Last night, the Minnesota Twins look for all the world to be headed to another disappointing loss on the road. Down 5-2 after five innings, Carl Pavano was getting beat by the long ball and the bats weren’t doing much of anything (besides grounding to Lyle Overbay, that is).

However, that is when the bats started to heat up:

Not only did it take back-to-back jacks from Morneau and Kubel to jump back into the game, but big hits were also needed from Mauer (dinger), and doubles by Thome and Delmon Young (who finished the game 3-3) since the pen kept serving up the meatballs.

As much as everyone is worried about the Twins right now, I think that our hitting is what it is and we aren’t going to change anything. If we continue to trot out a Span-O-Dawg-Mauer-Morneau-Cuddy-Kubes-Big D-Big Jim-JJ lineup, we’ll score runs:

If it doesn’t, then we probably just don’t deserve to make the playoffs anyway, so why worry? Thus, are biggest area of improvement will be pitching. Cliff Lee would be huge, but enough so to mortage away guys like Wilson Ramos and Aaron Hicks? At this point, I would have to say yes. With that kind of potent lineup day in and day out, we may actually have a chance to take on the mighty Yanks in the playoffs this year (one always has to assume that the AL road to the World Series runs through the Big Apple), but not without a few pitchers to hold back their firepower. Sending Lee, Liriano, and Pavano/Slowey/Baker/Blackie to the mound would give as at least a fair shake against their big bats, I think, though of course nothing is guaranteed.

Another key…more pictures like this:

Notes:

-Too bad Delmon Young won’t win the Final Vote balloting, but Kevin Youkilis probably deserves it. Just as long as Swish doesn’t make it…man I hate that guy!

Preview (45-38, 2nd, 0.5 GB DET): Kevin Slowey (8-5, 4.57) vs. Marc Rzepczynski (0-0, 0.00). The Tigers needed some late-inning heroics to preserve their division lead last night, so let’s keep the pressure on. I don’t want to be two games back heading into Comerica this weekend.

1 Comment

Nice win for you guys. Not easy to win in Toronto. What is with Kubel? Is he going to start putting it together? I had that guy on my fantasy team and he stunk, so I dropped him. But I am keeping an eye on the guy. If he turns it around and you get solid production from Cuddyer and Young (he’s been solid) then October is a given.

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